


Stars Can't Shine Without Darkness

by DepressedCarrot



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alcohol, Angst, Badass, Club AU, Conflict, Crystal Gems, Death, Depression, Drug Dealing, F/F, F/M, Guns, Marriage, Nightclub AU, bad language
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-08
Updated: 2016-10-30
Packaged: 2018-08-20 07:23:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8241202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DepressedCarrot/pseuds/DepressedCarrot
Summary: The Steven Universe Nightclub AU - The notorious Crystal Gems run the biggest nightclub on the east coast of rundown Delmarva. With the infamous Rose Quartz leading the drug trade and her son Steven laundering her stacks of cash through a legitimate business, the Universe's are unstoppable. It's only when their rival gang 'The Diamonds' begin to trade in Rose's territory that business starts to become a reason for war. It's Steven's job to keep his nightclub running smoothly throughout the battle with his loyal family helping him every step of the way. It won't be easy but he's not going to do it alone.





	1. Paradise

**Author's Note:**

> I understand this AU may be very different from what people are used to reading when it comes to SU. Since it's an alternative universe piece it's quite difficult for me to keep their personalities 100% although I will try my best. 
> 
> I apologise in advance for the poor grammar throughout, I probably won't correct anything after it's been posted so...sorry.

The constant hammering of the bass pouring out of the large sound system vibrated the floor of the establishment. Friday was always the busiest day of the week at the club but the crew were always prepared for anything or anyone to come through the doors. 

“We were down on target last week, tonight has to be a good night else we could face going into the red. We do not want to go into the red.” The small accountant pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose whilst point aggressively to several numbers on a piece of paper stuck loosely onto an old broken clipboard. “She's going to bring in people to sell on the premises and that can't happen!” 

“Tonight looks like it's going to be busy. I've got it under control, Peridot. Mom's not going to bring any product here, I won't let her. That's not what we do here.” Steven stood beside his trusted advisor with a hand on her shoulder as she sat in the desk chair. His jet black hair had been slicked down underneath the white hat he'd become accustomed to wearing. A fitted white suit, periwinkle shoes and a bright pink tie was all he needed to feel smart and important. 

“She's done it before.” Peridot bitterly turned away, not wanting to make eye contact with her boss.

“This is a legitimate business, it won't be like last time. I’m trying to prove to her that I can do this and she's not exactly making it easy.” Steven straightened his suit jacket as he stared down at the small tumbler of whiskey on the desk. The liquid in the glass was raving along to the beat of the song. 

Peridot was quick to notice Steven's attention had diverted towards the glass. A simple drink in the office wasn't something she believed to be bad considering the rest of the Universe employees carried weapons and took free drinks from the bar. The only disaster she would have is if the liquid were to spill over a night's worth of paperwork. 

“You look stressed, do you want some? I'm not going to drink it.” Peridot sighed as she tapped her pen against the side of the desk along to the music that flew underneath the door of the old office. Before coming to work for Steven she had spent three years in college studying accounting, after graduating she was left with three things; a degree in accounting, student debt and overdue rent. The only job remotely close to accounting was at the nightclub, Peridot didn't have time to wait for something glamorous and decided to work for Steven. 

“No thank you. Did Lapis get it for you?” Steven smirked, knowing it would hit a soft spot. 

Peridot flushed a bright red at the name as her eyes darted around the room to try and find something to look at other than Steven. She had tried her best to make the office feel a lot more homely but that just consisted of a cat poster on the side of a filing cabinet and a kinetic perpetual motion bird that sat contently bobbing its head on the neatly laid out desk. 

“I don't know, Steven. Now if you'll excuse me I have some numbers to crunch so it would be appreciated if you were to leave.” Peridot stood up from the desk, nearly knocking the red bow tie she was wearing as she folded over her arms. It wasn't necessary uniform but it was something she'd always wanted to wear if she was ever to get into her dream job. This was the closest she was going to get and Steven allowed her to wear whatever, there wasn't a set uniform.

“No prob, Bob.” Steven saluted with a small chuckle as Peridot pushed him out of the room. It was clear she wanted to get rid of him out of embarrassment but that wasn’t something Steven was going to hold against her. He got embarrassed too sometimes, it was only natural. 

It was around midnight, just when everything in the club started to pick up. When the nightlife became lively, loud and most important the time of night when rounds of drinks were brought on the double. 

Steven walked down the long corridor with his hands firmly inside of his pockets. Just another night spent with tired but excited eyes. The rumble of the bass shook the doors at the end of the corridor, Steven was prepared to enter his club that had slowly become his entire life.

His stubby fingers pushed against the pink door to get it to open. A bright light flooded through into the corridor shining onto Steven's face as the strobe lights aggressively bounced around the room. Steven squinted his eyes at the bright light before stepping through revealing the nightclub he had spent all of his adult life creating. 

As people danced with no regrets or plan to remember the night the next morning Steven stood tall on the platform. He was above the dance floor, right beside the VIP section of the club. As usual the VIP booths were booked out by rich men who wanted nothing more than to impressed the women they'd hand picked from the floor below. 

Steven didn't particularly like the idea of what went on inside of his club but it was just something he had to learn to ignore. A night club was going to be a night club no matter what. The general conventions always applied. For Steven the things people did under his roof weren't things he would ever dream of doing himself. 

The short man with the jet black hair leant over the balcony watching the people dance below. He gently tapped his thumbnail against the golden wedding ring around his finger. With so many unfaithful men around him the ring was symbolic for much more than just stating he was married. It showed love and commitment, his wife being the most important person in his life and a happy relationship was all he wanted to maintain. 

“Seven hundred and twenty two and it's only midnight, I think we might have a full house tonight. Well done Steven, your Mom will be proud.” A skinny figure perched their elbows onto the balcony beside Steven. 

“She will?” Steven attempted not to blush at the comment, he knew his Mom would praise him for bringing up the numbers. In fact, so would his father. 

“You know she will, she's always proud of you.” The pale woman turned towards Steven, a smile spread across her face. “We're always proud of you.” She corrected. 

“Thanks Pearl.” The young man filled half of his face with a smile. 

Pearl had always been there for Steven, ever since the day he was born. She was even in the room when it happened. It was no secret she cared deeply about his mother, an impossible one sided love that hurt everytime Pearl thought about it which admittedly was a lot of the time. 

“There was a bit of trouble at the door tonight but nothing that Garnet couldn't handle.” Pearl raised her voice in order to be heard over the loud music. 

“Trouble?” Steven questioned as one of his eyebrows spiked up in curiosity. 

There had been a few instances in the past where people had caused a scene at the front door, it became a regular thing as it would for any nightclub. Being a very exclusive club came with it's negative sides, especially when people wanted access that was forbidden to them. Along with the rapour that had built around the notorious gang that ran the club, nights sometimes got hectic and dangerous. 

“A few idiots trying to sneak in without paying. Just ignorant people without the brain capacity to think about anything other than their own self gain. In this world we call them...assholes.” She flicked her black jacket's collar with a smug smile, feeling smart about her comment. 

Steven stared down at the happy faces having a good time inside of his club, DJ Sour Cream dropping an infectious beat to make them dance into the early hours of the morning. The young man had dedicated his entire adult life to pleasing his mother. Whatever she requested he would try his very hardest to achieve, it wasn't easy with so much of the world weighing down his shoulders. 

He spent a lot of time pondering what life could have been like if he wasn't born into the Universe family. Perhaps he would have been able to settle down and have children? Maybe a boring office job where he was only fuelled by coffee and spent half of his life travelling on a train that's over capacity? He could have gone to college, or had a quirky roommate, or been something that he wanted rather than something his mother forced him into. 

But instead Steven Universe owned the nightclub that everyone in town wanted to go to. He could have been considered both famous and infamous. 

“When do you think this will all be over?” He began to fiddle with the wedding ring on his finger, twisting it back and forth. Pearl barely heard his sigh over the loud music but his sad expression was enough to confirm that what she had first heard was correct. 

“What do you mean?” Pearl questioned, shuffling closer towards the sad man to try and hear him better. The balcony certainly wasn't the best place to hold a solid conversation. 

“I just...it doesn't matter.” Steven bit down on his bottom lip to try and stop any emotion showing. He clenched his fist to keep the ring tightly on his finger, never wanting to let go. 

Just another night of business. Just another night with what seemed to be an infinite amount to come.


	2. Love Won't Sleep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven's tired, what more is there to say?

Steven was tired and not just in a literal sense. He was tired to the point of exhaustion, emotionally and physically. It was just after four am when his driver opened the back door to the white Rolls Royce allowing Steven to stumble inside. 

Garnet was a tall woman, silent but deadly. She just so happened to win Delmarva's boxing championships five years in a row. The only words Garnet ever really spoke were towards Steven, especially on a drive home from a long evening at work. 

Even at four in the morning Garnet still managed to keep the sunglasses she religiously wore on. There was no need for them other than the fact it made her feel comfortable, at least that's what everyone thought anyway. Nobody was rude enough to question it. Garnet was too intimidating for questions which is why she spent a lot of her time manning the door at the club. 

“How was it?” Garnet curiously asked as she nodded up towards the wing mirror and slowly turned the pop song down that was droning through the car's speakers. 

“The club? I think it was a good night.” A yawn caught onto him mid sentence making him finish in a lower tone.

“When was the last time you got a good night's sleep, Steven?” The motherly woman asked as she turned a corner in the car. Steven's work ethic always felt like a cause for concern for Garnet, he always found himself working far too hard and pushing himself. She knew he mainly did it to make sure his mom was happy along with the rest of the family. 

“Maybe a few years ago?” Steven chuckled under his breath, it was a serious comment and not an over exaggeration. 

As soon as Steven left school he was no longer in control of his own life, taken over and dictated by what his mother's work needed him to do. It wasn't possible for him to say no, he could never hurt his Mom like that.

“Go on vacation. We’ll look after the club.” Garnet offered in a blunt tone. Although Garnet always agreed with what her boss said she didn't always believe it was the best option for the crew or for her son. 

The tired man in the back of the expensive car sunk down in the seat, closing his eyes in the process. He didn't like falling asleep in the back of the car since it wasn't as if his house was that far away. Just a simple twenty minutes drive. 

It wasn't as if Steven meant to ignore Garnet’s words, she understood his exhaustion because she felt the same way. 

Once the car had parked outside of the four bedroom family home Garnet stepped out and opened the back door to let Steven out. He slept so peacefully, pursed lips with a tiny snore escaping with every breath. It was just a constant reminder to Garnet how she used to carry him out of the back of the car when he was little. Although with Steven being a grown man that was no longer something she could do. 

She bent down outside of the car to get to Steven's level, gently rubbing his shoulder blade in an attempt to wake him from the deep slumber. 

Steven quickly shot up in the seat, completely in shock with the situation. Although it was something that happened regularly he always felt slightly shook whenever he woke up somewhere that wasn't his own bed. 

“You're home, I hope the ride wasn't too bumpy.” Garnet smiled down at the drained man as he batted his eyelids to try and wake up.  
“Perfect.” Steven formed an ‘o’ with his finger and thumb as he sleepily yawned. 

It took a little bit more effort than usual for Steven to make it up to the door of the luxury house. It also took him a few pathetic attempts to get the key inside the front of the door as Garnet watched with a half smile from the car parked in the drive. 

When opening the door Steven tried his very hardest to be quiet, waking up Connie would have been a mistake. Unlike Steven, Connie had a studious and respectable job that her parents could be proud of. In fact, Steven was proud of her. 

Although Connie still spent a lot of time studying she was training to become a lawyer. A local firm just so happened to take her on as long as she continued her studies every other day that she worked. It was a good balance between both part time college and part time work. 

Steven hated being away from her and being at the club all night whilst she was at work or college all day did just that. 

He entered the door and placed the keys onto the small table as quietly as he could. His ninja skills weren’t as great as he first thought, the upstairs light flicked on dramatically making Steven’s nose screw up in disappointment. 

It was already game over, Connie was awake and that meant that there was no longer any point in being quiet. 

Steven lazily kicked off his shoes and peeled off the jacket, it wasn't as if he cared about keeping everything straight and in line. Pearl always came around the house at least once a week to clean everything in sight. A part of him believed it was a comfort for her, a way to destress from the troubling things she had seen at the club. Everyone needed an escape and it seemed as if Pearl’s escape was to clean the young Universe’s house.

“Are you okay?” Connie questioned, sat up in the king sized bed. Her hair was slightly scruffy from being asleep for a few hours but Steven didn't mind, she was always beautiful in his eyes. 

Steven fell onto the bed dramatically, face planting into the sheets beside Connie. 

“Arghhhhhhhhhh” He groaned into the mattress making his face warm. Connie slowly stroked the top of his head and smiled. 

Steven's hair was coarse with the gel that he'd used to keep it down. His hair was usually puffy and out of control, it wasn't how he'd been asked to present himself at the club. He always felt safe around Connie, Steven was able to be himself rather than someone he was sculptured to be. 

“Bad night?” Connie continued to twirl the curls of his hair with her fingers. 

Steven used up all of his energy turning around so he could speak to Connie properly without mumbling gibberish she couldn't understand into the bed sheets. 

“It wasn't bad...just tiring.” Steven admitted as Connie began to fiddle with the hair just above his forehead. “I'm sorry I woke you.”

“I was finding it hard to sleep anyway, So I was just reading my book.” Connie tapped on the book that was sat beside her waist, Steven looked up. He was unable to see the book in the position he was in but that didn't matter too much. 

“Anything I'd like?” 

“It's Law for dummies: Volume one, nothing interesting but I just wanted to stay up to date with my classes.” Connie smiled down at him as he looked up. Steven's eyes were just the same as they were when he was younger, wide and loving with the capability to tell a thousand stories.

“You're not a dummy.” Steven corrected, disagreeing with the book’s title. 

“It’s just the basics for me to go over, I can't deal with anything too heavy at this time in the morning.” Connie tittered lightly as she massaged the top of his forehead with two fingers. Steven slowly closed his eyes in the relaxed state. 

“Sounds...really...really...interest-” Before Steven could even finish his sentence he had fallen into a well deserved sleep. 

Connie sniggered at the sight, she had never been mad at Steven for coming home late or falling asleep mid conversation whilst still fully dressed. She knew that his job was something that he couldn't control, it was just the life that he'd been placed in. 

Just as Connie had practically been forced into studying something that would provide a prestigious career path. Sometimes it worried her knowing that her mother in-law was the biggest drug dealer on the east coast but Steven had promised he would never let her get involved. It was a secret she kept under lock and key, it was something that rattled her brain and made her nervous whenever anything along them lines was mentioned at either work or college. 

But she had fallen in love with the boy when she was younger, before anything became apparent. 

Before she knew of the dark secrets that kept the Universe family so close.


	3. Late Night? It's Okay.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A call from Connie's parents confirm the couple's plans for the next day. Will Steven be able to get time away from the club? Will he even be awake?

Thankfully for both Steven and Connie it was a Saturday which meant Connie didn't have anywhere to go and Steven only had to go into work late at night. 

Connie woke up naturally at around eleven am, she was slightly embarrassed by the time but it wasn't as if anyone cared about her lie in. She had found herself being tightly hugged by Steven when she woke up giving her a challenge to try and escape the adorable trap without waking him. 

It wasn't fair that Steven had to work all night and coming back early morning certainly seemed exhausting. Connie was always understanding and smiled contently as she got up and saw Steven in a deep sleep, his mouth pursed open slightly. 

After putting on the fluffy nightgown that Steven had brought for her one winter she made her way downstairs to start the morning off with a coffee. The pair just so happened to own the fanciest and most expensive coffee machine money could buy, it wasn't as if either of them cared but it was just the one that Connie's dad had recommended. 

Connie flicked on the coffee machine and waited patiently for it to finish making the awful noises it made when functioning. She turned on the radio to create some background noise in the otherwise silent house. 

There was a sudden ringing noise that interrupted Connie's train of thought as she tapped her foot to the beat of the overplayed pop song on the radio. She snapped out of the trance before darting over to answer the phone, she didn't want to wake up Steven with the repetitive noise. 

“Hello?” 

“Connie! I tried to call you earlier and nobody answered.” Doctor Maheswaran scowled down the phone as if it was a crime to sleep in past eight. 

“Sorry Mom, I was still asleep.” Connie stepped across the room with the phone to her ear, watching the coffee machine work it's magic. 

“That's alright just make sure you answer next time, I was worried.” Her tone settled. 

“Yes ma’am.” 

“I was calling to ask if you and Steven would like to join us for Sunday lunch.” Connie's mom stated, it wasn't as if Sunday lunches happened very often. 

“That would be great, I'll have to speak to Steven about it but it should be fine.” Connie smiled at the offer, she knew Steven would try his best to be there. Upsetting his in laws was something he never wanted to do so he would always try his best when it came to anything to do with them. 

“Good, I'm glad to hear it.” 

Upstairs Steven was trying his hardest to listen to the conversation but the house was just too big to hear correctly. He had woken up when the phone had rang although over the timespan of Connie being on the phone he had managed to spread himself out across both sides of the bed. 

With little under six hours of sleep Steven still felt awful, every muscle in his body ached along with his heavy eyes. He was still wearing half of his suit from the night before which just made him feel more uncomfortable and out of place. Steven made the quick conclusion that a shower was needed immediately. 

Once Connie had gotten off of the phone and heard the shower go on upstairs she decided to cut up extra bits of watermelon so Steven had something ready to eat when he came downstairs. It was just another way for her to show her love and tell him how much she cared. 

Although Steven didn't feel one hundred percent after the shower it certainly helped with waking him up. He trailed down the stairs only to find Connie sat at the breakfast bar flicking the screen of a tablet whilst holding a white mug with her free hand. 

“There's some fruit over there for you, I thought you might like some for breakfast.” Connie spun herself around on the stool to face him as he heavily made his way into the kitchen. 

“Wouldn't it be considered ‘brunch’ now? I mean, it is eleven.” Steven smirked as he sat down in the chair with the bowl of fruit in front of him. 

“Don't try and be a smartass, it doesn't suit you.” Connie stared down at her tablet with a smile, she loved it whenever a witty comment managed to pass her lips. 

“Well, this is pretty good so I'm not going to complain. Thank you.” Steven placed another chunk of fruit into his mouth before deciding to speak one again. “So, what are we doing today?” 

Connie looked up from the device and slurped on the hot drink. 

“You're free today?” The long haired woman gasped before grinning, it wasn't very often that Steven got to spend the day at home. Usually he would be called and told to give his location so Garnet could pick him up and take him to a dodgy looking place where he would have to conduct some sort of business for his mother.

“As far as I know, is that okay?” Steven smiled back prior to throwing a small piece of pineapple into his mouth.

“That's more than okay, that's great!” Connie gleamed, it seemed to be an opportunity that couldn't be missed. 

“How about tomorrow? I should be free then too.” Steven was excited to finally be spending time with the woman he cared about. It wasn't very often either of them got time away from work or study, it would make a nice change. 

“Well...my parents rang and they asked if we wanted to come over for Sunday lunch.” Connie placed the mug onto the table and began circling the edge of the cup with her finger. 

“That sounds great!” Steven excitedly replied, as much as his in laws didn't like his presence he certainly enjoyed theirs. 

Connie's parents approved of Steven years and years ago, they never knew that would mean their daughter marrying him. At the end of the day the both of them were willing to sacrifice a lot of things for their daughter’s happiness. 

On the other side of the story Steven's parents were just nice people with bad intentions. With his mom being notorious for things that even Steven didn't want to imagine and his dad running a corrupt police station nothing seemed right. 

He would never have been able to have a casual family dinner, Connie's parents were the only opportunity he had to feel normal. 

“As for today... I'm not sure.” Connie scratched her head, she had spent so long alone thinking of great date ideas for both her and Steven and yet when the time came her mind had gone completely blank. 

Steven thought about it for a few seconds, something simple but special would be great. He knew that Connie didn't care about fancy restaurants, anything would do as long and they were together. 

“How about we go to the river like we used to? I think I could do with the fresh air.” 

“That sounds perfect.”


	4. Constant Headache

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happens before opening time? Flirtation and confliction?

The huge neon ‘Universe’ sign sat contently on the top of the club, it looked odd during the day when it wasn't illuminating the building. The lettering was boxed in by two large stars, signifying that the club was run by ‘The Crystal Gems’. 

It was nearly nine in the evening when the vast majority of the staff members were preparing for the night ahead, Saturdays were always the busiest and recovering from the Friday was hard. Thankfully the cleaners came in throughout the day to erase the mess that had been left the night before. 

The bartender wiped the top of the futuristic looking bar as the short accountant sat on one of the stools watching with a careful eye. 

“Haven't you got work to be doing?” Lapis raised an eyebrow, barely looking away from the task at hand. 

“I graduated top of my class in accounting, I think I've got it handled. I could do it in a few seconds if I wanted.” Peridot smugly picked at one of her fingers. Graduating top in the accounting class was certainly something to boast about. It was clear she was trying to impress the mere bartender. 

“Did you graduate at the top of the cleaning class as well? You can either sit there and watch blankly or pick up a cloth and help me out.” Lapis smirked knowing it would make Peridot less pretentious with her next comment. Peridot blushed before stepping off of the stool to go and help however before she could go to the other side of the bar another member of the club stopped her in her tracks. 

“What’s the hurry Peri? You’re going a bit red.” Amethyst chuckled as she stood in front of the accountant. Amethyst was around the same height as Peridot so it wasn’t as if she was any more intimidating although her broad shoulders and sheer strength was definitely something to be afraid of. You were an idiot if you ever went into an arm wrestling match with Amethyst thinking you would have a good chance of winning. 

Amethyst spent a lot of the time sat at the bar surveying the area, she had never really been set a specific job. She had grown up alongside Steven, he had always considered Amethyst as an older sister since he didn’t have any siblings of his own. After having a rough childhood Amethyst got into the trade without even trying, at the time it seemed to be her only option for some sort of worth. The Crystal Gems made her feel as if she was something.

“N-nothing, I’m helping Lapis.” Peridot stuttered under her breath trying her hardest not to let Lapis hear the nervousness in her voice. 

“Right...well, she spoke about you a lot the other day.” Amethyst put her arm around Peridot and dragged her away from the bar slightly before whispering. Peridot’s eyes lit up at the words.

“Oh my stars, really? What did she say?” She gasped, covering her mouth with both of her hands. 

“She just mentioned how you were super cute.”

“I’m...cute? Really?” Peridot rubbed her hands down her cheeks in shock. People at school used to call her cute, usually mocking her about her size but this was a different kind of cute. This was the kind of cute that Lapis approved of. The kind of cute that got to go on dates.

As Peridot nearly fainted at the news the upstairs of the club was dominated by Pearl and Garnet inside Steven’s office. 

“She’s going to be here soon and we haven’t even sold enough, there’s no other way than to sell some product when people arrive.” Pearl sat on the edge of the desk contemplating business decisions that she had the power to control. 

“Steven’s going to find out about it sooner or later.” Garnet checked her golden watch as she spoke, it was nearly time for her to drive back to the Universe’s house and pick him up. 

“Steven’s not going to find out about it and even if he does it’s not his decision. I don’t like it as much as you but it’s something that has to be done. We’re producing too much product and we can’t sell it fast enough, you know it’s not something that can just wait around. It has to move.” Pearl argued, she had never particularly liked going behind Steven’s back when it came down to his mother but the leader of The Crystal Gems had a lot more control over her than Steven ever would. 

“I only want what’s in the best interest of Steven.” Garnet turned away from Pearl not wanting to look at her. 

Pearl was known to be selfish in the sense of only caring about one thing in particular, the leader of The Crystal Gems. They had been together since high school, that’s when they had made their moves in the industry. If it wasn’t for Pearl a lot of the things that the drug lord did wouldn’t have been possible. Pearl tried her best to accept Steven into the world even if it did draw a lot of attention away from herself. It wasn’t as if she hated him, a lot of it was just envy. She deserved to be running the club, his mother should have put that trust into Pearl and not into Steven. 

Garnet on the other hand was completely different, she had met The Crystal Gems after being seen as a social outcast. They took her in knowing she could become a valuable attribute to the gang, she was quiet and wise. Some of the best attributes for the job were seen in Garnet. She was loyal to The Crystal Gems but after Steven was born she had seen something different in the whole business. The gang did a lot of bad things and bringing a child into that was the wrong thing to do, the leader could have done anything with the kid and even had the chance to retire and move to get as far away as possible from the mess that they had created in order to raise a child. It wasn’t as if money was an issue. But instead the leader stayed and raised their child alongside a group of criminals. Garnet would have taken care of him and every day she regretted not saying something at the time before he was able to grow up and witness the worst. She had been silent about the whole thing for twenty three years, the only thing she could do was to look out for Steven whenever she had the opportunity.

“You think I don’t want that too? But we have product to move and it’s not going to move itself. It’s a job, we have to get it done.” Pearl raised her voice slightly, it was considered a risky thing to do in front of Garnet but at the time she didn’t seem to care. 

“Get the job done, but not in here.” Garnet urged.

“Where else are we meant to sell? Diamond territory?” As Pearl dropped the bomb the entire room went silent. Even the printer that consistently droned was dead in the moment. 

Garnet checked her watch once again, there had to be some sort of excuse for her to abruptly leave the room and escape from Pearl without it all seeming like she was just leaving to get out of the argument. Thankfully it was time for her to drive to Steven’s.

“I need to go and pick Steven up.” Garnet stood up and walked out of the room without even sparing a glance at Pearl.

The Diamonds were a rough subject for everyone, especially Garnet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Hope everyone is doing alright, chapters should begin to pick up from here on out. Y'know...that exciting part of a story where everyone is like 'wow, I kind of enjoy this terrible writing a bit better now.' 
> 
> Come see me on Tumblr, ask me questions or something. That's what Tumblr is for, right? ---- @/ConnverseTheUniverse
> 
> Also if you make anything to do with the story tag me! I'd love to see it!


	5. Erase Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something's going on and Steven has no idea what that something could be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The more I read this, the worst it gets. WHOOPS. 
> 
> Either way, thank you for reading because it means a lot.

Connie pushed the pink tie into position around the young man’s neck before planting a small kiss on his cheek. 

“Good-looking, as always.” Connie grinned as Steven’s eyes found themselves wandering off to the side, away from Connie. 

“Thank you for today.” Steven half smiled, refusing to make eye contact with her. He knew it would just make him sadder than he already was. 

The couple had spent the day passing time with each other which just so happened to be the best thing for Steven. It was really the only thing he ever wanted to do. They went for a walk together by the river before having lunch at the cafe by the docks. It was only then that they went on a short boat ride down the river and took cute pictures together, it was something for Connie to show her parents the next day at lunch. After coming home they managed the watch the first two Harry Potter films together again, Steven tried his hardest not to drift off to sleep during the second one. He only made it past the first twenty minutes of the film before he fell asleep, his head resting on Connie’s shoulder.

Just the simplistic things meant the world to Steven. The only thing he would want to use his money for was to make Connie happy, other than that he wouldn’t have minded living on the bare minimum. 

“We’re going out for lunch again tomorrow but we should definitely do something like this again. Just the two of us.” Connie gleamed.

“That would be nice.”

“Are you okay?” Connie placed her hands either side of Steven’s arms, there was something wrong and she was able to sense it from a mile away. 

Steven didn’t speak another word, instead he just wrapped his arms tightly around Connie and buried himself into the crook of her neck.

“I just want to stay here.” Steven stated like a stubborn child, he didn’t want to have to leave and tend to whatever the club was going to give him throughout the night. He was tired and after spending the entire day with Connie it just reminded him that his own paradise was far from what people believed his dreams to be. 

Just as Connie rubbed his back sympathetically there was a knock at the door which caused the couple to break up their tight connection, they stared at eachother for a few seconds before taking action. Connie walked over to the door and opened it up only to reveal Garnet stood tall on the doorstep. Steven scurried away in the background, grabbing his shoes in the process. 

“Garnet, it’s good to see you. Come in.” Connie insisted as she stepped away from the door to grant Garnet access to the oversized house. 

“Good evening, Connie. How’s the internship going?” Garnet questioned as she adjusted the sunglasses she always wore. 

“Very good, it’s sometimes difficult to keep up with all of the work but I manage. A lot of the time it just takes a few coffees to get started.” Connie chuckled as Garnet smiled down at her. Their height difference wasn’t as drastic as it used to be when Connie was little however the older woman still stood taller. 

“Coffee is the greatest beverage to ever exist.” 

“Connie’s great at everything, Garnet. She’s going to be an amazing lawyer.” Steven hopped into the room, holding onto one of his shoes whilst drastically attempting to get it onto his foot.

“Steven.” Connie blushed at the compliment. He would always find tiny ways to make her smile. 

Steven knew Connie was going to become something great and he would never allow his career or family to stop her. If she wanted to become president of the USA he would do everything in his power to try and make that happen. He truly believed that Connie was the best person to ever walk the earth.

“Well, he’s right.” Garnet beamed, adding to the complement.

After a few hugs and kisses Steven was able to leave his home and head off to start a long night at work. Saturday nights were the longest at the club, a full ten hours of opening time. Although Steven certainly wasn’t planning on staying that long, especially not when Connie’s parents were expecting them both to be over there at lunchtime. It would just be the case of leaving whenever it died down so he was able to catch up on a tiny bit of sleep before having to go out once again. He was certain Pearl wouldn’t mind running the club for the last few hours of opening, Steven deserved a break. 

Thankfully for Steven the club was shut on Sundays although a lot of the time his mom still required his assistance elsewhere during the night, no matter how much he didn’t want to be involved with the whole drug side of the business. It was usually more mundane tasks that could help the business in any way. 

Steven opened the car door himself, not wanting Garnet to go through the trouble of doing it even if that was her job. Sometimes he hated the special treatment. 

The car journey was near to silent with Steven staring out of the window watching the world go by. It was a shame the majority of what he saw was illuminated by only streetlights and the ominous glows coming from the inside of a few buildings. As always Garnet didn’t have a lot to say, no matter how much she wanted to tell Steven about the selling inside of the club she just couldn’t. It wouldn’t have turned out well for anyone. 

Once parked up outside of the club Steven stepped out of the back of the car and stood straight in front of the huge signed that towered over everyone at the front of the club. It was his design, it was his surname. Universe. 

People were already lined up outside of the club waiting for the opening, so many of them already drunk from the bars that they had visited beforehand. Universe was certainly the place to be on a Saturday night. 

“Hey, it’s Steven! How are you doing buddy?” Amethyst jumped off of the bar stool almost instantly at the sight of her friend. Lapis perked her head up from behind the bar and smiled, everyone’s mood changed whenever Steven came into the building. 

“I’ll be doing better if you were to stop eating all my chips.” Steven chortled as Amethyst walked towards him and knocked him gently on the shoulder. Steven knew that all Amethyst really did at the bar was sit and speak to anyone that arrived along with eating all of the salt and vinegar flavoured chips. But Steven didn’t mind because he knew that there wasn’t a lot else for her to do and nowhere else for her to be. By allowing her to stay here he was giving her a place to go where she felt safe, he was giving her purpose. 

Amethyst did a lot of work for Rose whilst out in the street. With her blue and white bandana around her neck and the black and white snapback, she was able to become hidden at any point if need be. 

“C’mon man, they’re good.” Amethyst joked as she playfully hit him once again.

Steven walked through the lobby towards the stairs before heading straight towards the offices. He knew that a brief with Peridot was always important before a busy night started, just to make sure everyone knew what they were doing to get the most out of their customers. It was critical to ensure that people were spending money and having a great time, Universe couldn’t lose it’s good reputation. People from all different states came over just to spend a night in the club, keeping it a smoothly run business was critical to its success. 

Before heading into Peridot’s office Steven took a turn towards his own. The door was painted a matte black with a small metal plate nailed near the top with the name ‘S.Universe’ engraved into it. The plaque was a gift from his mother when he had first been told he would be the one to own the club that would be used to launder dirty drug money. 

Steven pushed open the door only to reveal a tall figure stood beside Pearl. They were clearly speaking to one another about what seemed to be a very troubling subject by their concerned facial expressions.

“Mom?” Steven gasped at the tall woman with the long curly bright pink hair. 

“Steven?” The woman turned around with a gasp, no longer looking so troubled over the subject she was previously speaking about with Pearl. 

Steven quickly walked towards her before throwing his arms around the tall yet elegant woman. It wasn’t very often he got to see her but when he did he attempted to savour every second. 

“Mom, it’s so good to see you.” Steven hugged her tighter, knowing that it would probably be another month or so before he managed to see her again if and when she managed to drop around to the club. 

Rose Quartz was the leader of The Crystal Gems, a gentle yet serious woman when it came down to business. She had spent the past twenty-six years building the empire that she had always dreamed of, a place where she was in full control. She was practically a celebrity and when it came to running into trouble with the authorities there was always someone on the inside that could help her out. Marrying the police chief was also an added bonus.

“Oh Steven, look at you. You’re always so handsome. Look at this pink tie, it’s so smart!” Rose swooned over her son’s looks. Everytime she saw him she was convinced that he had changed ever so slightly even though the majority of the time he hadn’t. The only thing that changed about Steven was how large the black circles under his eyes had gotten.

“Mom, please.” Steven could barely speak as Rose pinched his cheek and shook it slightly. He was far too old for greetings like this but it didn’t mean he didn’t enjoy them. The young man loved the attention his mother gave him after months of not seeing or speaking to him at all. 

Contact was awful between the two of them since Rose would change her phone near enough every week for protection. Steven had thought about calling her up more but the connection just didn't seem to be there. 

Steven glanced towards Pearl in a hope that she would save him from the overwhelming greeting. Unfortunately Pearl didn’t take a hint and continued to mess around with the buttons on the front of her disposable phone. It was just as if she was trying to ignore the fact that Steven was soaking up all of the attention in the room and taking her away from Rose. 

“Rose, we need to sort this out. Now.” Pearl bitterly stated without even moving an eye away from the phone. 

“What's going on?” Steven questioned only to be completely ignored by everyone in his presence. 

Rose continued to stare down at Steven, smiling at his every move and avoiding his question. There were no doubts about her missing him whenever she had to leave town on business for a little while although Garnet would always manage to speak to her to inform her of all of the things that her son had been up to. 

“Well done Steven, I've never seen the club this popular. I'm really proud of you, keep up the good work.” Rose grabbed onto Steven's shoulders, her eyes darted off to the side only to notice Pearl with her teeth clamped together. It was just another cue to hurry it up. 

Steven didn't quite know what else to do other than the smile at the comment. He had been running the establishment for the past couple of years but Rose was right, it had never been this busy. The past few months with new marketing schemes and redesign of some of the interior certainly improved their ratings. 

“Thanks...Mom.” The young man scratched the back of his neck as Rose twirled him around and pushed him on the back. 

“Now, you've got a club to run and I've got to get back to business. I'll catch up with you later. Enjoy the rest of your evening, Steven.” Rose grinned as she quickly ushered Steven out of the open door. 

Steven had barely blinked before finding himself outside of the door of the office within a few seconds. Their interactions were always like this. Every time it was the case of her having something more important to do. It certainly wasn't the first time he had been completely ignored and thrown out. 

He was just about to turn around and say goodbye when the door shut, leaving him no other option than to leave. Steven shoved his hands into his pockets before staring down at the dusty coloured star patterns on the old carpet. A large sigh escaped his lips before continuing to stroll down the corridor.


	6. The Less I Know The Better

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peridot turns into a detective when odd numbers show up on file. 
> 
> Steven and Peridot get stuck in a scary situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little Easter egg, (if that's the word for it - who knows?) all of the chapter titles are titles of random songs in one of my playlists. They're from all kinds of artists, the song doesn't have to relate to the chapter - just the title. 
> 
> It's fun, for me anyway.

Peridot tapped the pen against the desk, finding it hard to concentrate over the loud noises the club produced. However tonight it wasn't just the droning of the bass coming from the oversized sound system.

For one it was the words of Amethyst and her mention of Lapis finding her cute. That was an extremely important part of Peridot's night that refused to leave her mind. Yet, there was another thing bothering her. 

The constant sounds and screams of Pearl and Rose Quartz. 

Peridot knew better than to get involved with anything that involved people higher up in the business, especially an argument. Even just listening to the muffled sound of Rose Quartz’s voice was an honour in itself. 

There was something off with the numbers that were on the paper, numbers that didn't match up to the amount of people that were coming into the club. Peridot flicked back through the paperwork to see if she'd missed anything critical. Nothing seemed to stick out apart from the odd numbers that had come up on the count of the vault earlier on during the day. Pearl had done the counting that day, she was the one who had written the number onto the sheet. 

Peridot had no other option than to find Steven and ask him if he was aware that a considerable portion of the money had been taken out of the vault. It could have potentially just been a few misprinted numbers or something that Steven already knew about. Asking Pearl would have been the sensible option but there was no way Peridot would even consider walking into the heated room. 

She folded the piece of paper and stuck it inside of her back pocket, loosely hanging out. The small accountant strolled past Steven's office which didn't contain Steven at all, rather two business partners getting down each other's throats. Although by the sound of it Pearl seemed to be doing the majority of the shouting. 

After making her way through the double doors and being exposed to the loud music she decided to start her search for Steven. Firstly she checked every VIP booth, getting strange looked as she past. Even a few hurtful comments were spilt from the mouths of the drunkard rich men sharing their booths with selected women. Peridot had learnt not to care what other people thought of her, especially people inside of the club. She was doing her job and that's all that mattered. 

Peridot's search continued to the lobby, she threaded her fingers through her hair at the sight of Lapis serving drinks at the bar. Although she was searching for Steven for a serious matter, she couldn't be distracted. However speaking to Lapis could give her the answers she desired or perhaps that was just an excuse?

Peridot casually hopped up onto a stool before placing one of her elbows on the bar, resting her head on her hand whilst waiting for Lapis to inevitably serve her. 

It took a few seconds for the bartender to react to the new customer that had just sat down, although as soon as Lapis saw her staring she was quick to come over and serve.

“I thought you were stopping the late night drinks?” Lapis smirked as she folded the cloth she had previously been using to mop up the mess a customer had made on the other side of the bar. People were always spilling drinks.

“Well yes, I don't plan to drink but that's not why I'm here anyway.” 

“Oh? So why are you here?” Lapis picked up an empty glass that had been left on the bar right next to Peridot. 

“Have you seen Steven? I'm finding it rather difficult to locate him. We all need tracking devices, this place is far too big.” Peridot tapped the frame of her glasses as she waited for an answer. It wasn't quite the question that Lapis was expecting from the accountant that night. Perhaps a more personal question would have suited her better. 

“He left out the back entrance a little while ago, I'm not quite sure what he was doing or if he's still here. Garnet is outside the front so if he's gone, he's on foot.” Lapis admitted, adding a shrug to her answer. 

“Right, thank you Lapis.” Peridot jumped off of the stool making her way towards the back door that was blocked off to the general public. She was a couple of seconds into the journey before she decided to turn back. “Also, about them drinks...surprise me.” Peridot shot a finger gun as Lapis snorted. 

Peridot continued her search for Steven by jabbing in a code on a small number pad before twisting the handle granting her access to the outer world. As she stepped out onto the balcony the cool summer breeze hit her, out on the balcony stood the one and only Steven Universe. 

Nobody apart from Pearl used the back entrance and even then she only used it to light up a cigarette. Steven didn't allow it inside of the club, the smoke would only stain everything with it's putrid smell. The balcony was littered with cigarette butts and a few empty pint glasses. 

“I'm sorry to bother you Steven but something's come up. I just need you to check back through a few of these documents. According to these documents the vault has a few grand missing, do you know anything about it?” Peridot picked the folded sheet of paper out of her back pocket before passing it over to Steven who was halfway through turning around away from the balcony edge. 

“How much?” Steven questioned, hoping that she would have an answer. If anything, it certainly wasn't him that took the money. 

“Thirty thousand.”

“Wow... that's not just a 'few’.”

“This is a bank of the Crystal Gems, thirty thousand is chump change but it’s still makes my graphs dip. I don't want dippy grafts, is that so much to ask?” Peridot shrugged with confusion in her face. 

“Well, it wasn't me. Ask my Mom or ask Pearl. I don't even know what I'd spend thirty thousand on, probably a holiday for Connie and I.” Steven rested himself back onto the balcony ledge before letting out yet another sigh. 

“Steven, are you alright?” Peridot sympathetically shuffled closer towards him noticing the tone in his voice shift. 

“I guess you could say that.” Steven adjusted the white hat he had on his head. He had picked it up out the back of the car earlier on, it helped him distinguish the world inside of the club and what was on the outside. 

“That doesn't sound like a very positive response. I'm here to talk if you need.” Peridot gritted her teeth at the last words, for the most part she found it difficult to interact with other people. Especially when it came to emotions. 

“Thanks, I'm just not quite sure where I stand in this whole business. I'm just being played and used by Mom because she wants me to have some kind of input. Perhaps I should get more involved with the other side of business, not just the club.” Steven admitted his thoughts on the subject.

He had never played a major part in the drug trade side of the business, he had always considered it but never took actions upon his messy thought processes. Sure, he had done a few things to do with trading but that was just organisation. He had never really shown his face to the enemies that he had accumulated just from his name. Rose liked to keep him out of the spotlight of the drug traders, there were rumours that she had a son but nobody in the other gangs had been able to confirm it although they believed it to be highly likely. 

“I don't think that's a good idea.” Peridot bit down on her bottom lip, the whole drug trade made her nervous. The idea of Steven joining in with it just expanded her fears. 

Just as Steven was about to give Peridot a mouthful as to how it's his decision and how he never gets to make the decisions in his life there was a loud bang from inside the club. Both Steven and Peridot exchanged glances before turning around. 

“W-what was that?” Peridot gripped onto the balcony ledge as she turned around in shock. Steven mimicked the action with a gulp as a louder series of shots were heard over a few screams and the music.   
“Sounds like...gunfire.” Steven sweated nervously, feeling trapped and helpless. 

“Oh my stars, Lapis is inside.” 

“Everyone's inside!” Steven corrected. It was only natural for him to worry about everyone. 

His sweaty palms gripped tighter onto the cold metal balcony as more shots were fired. 

Steven's fight or flight senses just wanted him to fly off of the balcony and never return. Perhaps he wasn't cut out for the drug side of the business, especially if shootouts were to happen. 

It would be a long night.


	7. My Bark Is Your Bite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose knows this is her fault but she's not ready to admit that, not yet. Tensions rise as trading secrets are revealed. Steven isn't exactly happy about it.

“They're here.” 

“I didn't think they'd come to the club!” 

“They're unpredictable, Pearl!”

“Don't put this on me, you were the one who told me to expand the trade.”

“That doesn't matter now, where are the guns? What did Bismuth give us?” Rose attempted to keep cool under the stressful situation. It wasn't as easy as she had first hoped. 

“Thirty thousand got us enough. They're all downstairs.” Pearl confirmed, spinning the combination lock on the tiny vault to secure it. 

“Is anyone on the top floor armed?” Rose swung open the door to the office and began storming towards the basement door. 

“Garnet always carries hers and I believe Lapis has a shotgun underneath the floorboard hatch behind the bar.” Pearl counted the amount of weapons they had on the top floor with one hand. The situation wasn't looking too good when it came to defence. 

“And Steven? Does he have a weapon?” Rose unlocked and opened up the basement door before tiptoeing down the steps at a fast pace. 

“Steven? Steven refuses to keep any type of weapon on him no matter how many times I've tried to convince him that it's just not safe. Perhaps after this he’ll finally listen.” 

Pearl jogged down the steps following closely behind Rose who flicked on the light to the huge basement. They practically ran across the room towards the large wooden crates. 

“After is too late. Help me with this.” Rose commanded as she lifted the heavy lid on the crate. 

Pearl scurried over to Rose before helping to pry open the crate. After attempting not to receive any splinters from the scratchy wood both Crystal Gems pushed the lid of before allowing it to fall to the floor with a loud crash. 

Inside the crate was a large amount of handguns and rifles that could do some serious damage to their enemies. Rose smirked at the weapons; their supplier, Bismuth always got the best weapons imported from around the globe for the cheapest price just for Rose. It was know as the 'old friend discount’ between the two of them. 

All hell was breaking loose on the lobby floor, members of the general public fled in various directions. 

“Get out, get out! We’re not here for you runts.” A beefy and intimidating woman stood tall in the entrance of the club. Her hair was a deathly white, long and bold as it flowed down her back. 

She held a powerful rifle in her hand, it was the same rifle that had just been firing warning shots into the ceiling of the club making the owners aware of their presence. 

Every staff member of the club knew to stay perfectly still during the raid. That's what Rose had always instructed them to do if something like this were to ever happen, at least until she made an appearance.

Lapis ducked underneath the bar, trying her hardest to fumble with the combination lock. It was only after a few tries she was able to get the shotgun that was stored inside out for her own defence. 

“We’ll just stay out here, right? We’ll be perfectly safe. It's best we don't get involved. That's the best option, yes.” Peridot nervously stammered as she paced up and down the balcony. Steven sat closely to the door attempting to listen in. 

“We should go inside, what if someone gets hurt?” Steven scratched his forehead, he was pretty terrified of something going horribly wrong. What if they were after him and someone else got hurt because of it? Steven would never be able to forgive himself. 

“What if we get hurt?” Peridot screeched before thinking about her words slightly more before speaking. “Why are you always right?” She sighed with regret. 

“We'll just walk in casually, right?” Steven bit down on his tongue, his hand hovering slightly above the door handle. 

“I'm...right behind you.” The accountant gulped before ducking behind the leader’s son. 

Steven huffed before pushing down the door handle, Peridot practically hugged his hips in fear. 

Nobody inside bothered to turn at the door click, there was far too many interesting things going on for anyone to pay attention. Steven didn't particularly want to be seen by anyone, especially his mother's enemies. Just being her son made him an immediate target. 

“C’mon Rose, we're waiting for an explanation.” The long white haired woman bellowed. The music from the floor below hadn't stopped completely however it had certainly been turned down. 

Steven pushed through the door and ran towards the door with his body close to the floor. Peridot shuffled close behind him not wanting to be left alone. 

The two anxious staff members made their way over to the back of the bar. It seemed to be the only place that everyone on the top floor decided to gather. 

Peridot crawled on all fours behind the bar before making eye contact with Lapis and Amethyst who were sat hugging their legs.

“You two are late to the party.” Amethyst rolled her eyes before adjusting the bandana that hung around her neck. 

“Better late than never.” Peridot shrugged before placing herself down beside Lapis who was holding tightly onto the shotgun. 

“Should I go out there?” Steven asked the three women sat beside him as he peeked his head above the bar. 

“No!” All three of them sounded in unison, every one of them whispering as loud as they could to still allow it to be considered a whisper. 

“I guess I won't then.” The young man slowly moved into the same position as everyone else stuck hiding behind the bar. 

Suddenly as if out of nowhere Rose and Pearl burst through the stairwell doors, both holding rifles with their fingers on the triggers. 

“Well, look who decided to show up.” The white haired woman laughed with a few of her small army doing the same. There were only a few shorter people stood behind her, all of which were very similar. 

“Jasper.” Pearl spoke through her teeth. 

“We had an agreement and you broke it.” Jasper clenched her fist as she held the automatic rifle on her shoulder with the other hand. 

“Let's come to some sort of compromise here.” The tall woman with pink hair raised her hand up as a peaceful gesture although it didn't seem to be enough. 

“We had an agreement, Rose. I didn't think you would be the one to break it.” 

“Desperate times call for desperate measures.” Rose furrowed her eyebrows. 

“You must have been really desperate to decide to fuck with us.” Jasper smirked with pleasure, she had everyone right where she wanted them. The ultimate power. 

“Well we wouldn't have been so desperate if there wasn't so much Diamond trade in Beach City, you know this is our area but we gave you a second chance. I apologise over the fact you were unable to keep to yourself, we just had to do the same in return.” Pearl pointed her finger towards Jasper and her small army who were stood anxiously waiting for instruction. 

“The eye for an eye approach? Noble but stupid. The Diamonds make the choices around here, not The Crystal Gems. Pack up trading in our zones and we won't have to have another conversation like this. Leave our traders to do their business, they can go wherever they please. Next time there won't just be a few bullet holes in the ceiling. I hope the message was received and you're all smart enough to make the right choice even if I doubt it.” The tall woman cocked back the gun before spitting out the threatening words. Jasper spun around as she ushered the people with her out of the door

Rose stood with anger flushing through her face, this was something that couldn't be helped without a death toll. The Diamonds were trading illegal drugs within Rose’s territory making it incredibly difficult for The Crystal Gems to sell their product. Small disputes happened a lot of the time but the tension was bound to rise once Rose found out she wasn't bringing in as much money as she used to. Her network was no longer as flexible and expansive as it used to be. 

“Seriously, what the fuck just happened?” Lapis stood up from behind the bar holding the shotgun with a deadpan expression. 

The business outside of the club wasn't important to employees such as Lapis, however the staff members felt more inclined to be questioning the business decisions when their life was on the line. 

Both Pearl and Rose turned towards Lapis who was the first person to reveal their hiding spot. 

“Ho boy, your Mom is pissed Steve-o.” Amethyst nudged Steven who was still sat behind the bar shaking slightly. Peridot gave her a look, knowing it was wrong for Amethyst to provoke the young man. 

Both Pearl and Rose ignored Lapis’ comment by walking away from the situation and back towards the offices.

Steven knew that what happened wasn't acceptable, his mother had always told him that she would never allow for anything like this to happen inside the walls of the club. 

Plaster trickled from the ceiling in an abundance of dust particles. There was a few pieces of shattered glass scattered across the shiny floor of the lobby from where the lights had been shot out. 

Thankfully for everyone it seemed as if no civilians were shot throughout the threat although it was obvious a gunman showing up would stunt the popularity of the club, nobody wanted to be in that situation. 

The music had stopped around halfway through the confrontation, DJ Sourcream made sure to escape whenever it was possible. The drone of the bass had been replaced by the distant sound of sirens. 

Steven knew the cops wouldn't be an issue but he still shuddered at the sound. Once again his mother's consequences were passed down onto him. The one thing nobody wanted to inherit.


End file.
